Improvement in base-balls



UNITED STATES PATENT OrFIcn.

SAMUEL HIPKISS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BASE-BALLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,315, dated January18, 1876; application filed December 2, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HIPKIss, of

Boston, of the county of Sutt'olk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Cricket or Base Balls; and dohereby declare the same to be fully described in the followingspecification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of Which-Figure 1 is a side View, and Fig. 2 a section, ofa cricket or base ballprovided with my invention, in the carrying out of which I combine, witha cricket or base ball, A, of ordinary construction, a bell, B, arrangedconcentric ally within it, such bell consisting of a hollow sphere, a,of metal or other suitable material, furnished with a clapper or one ormore small balls, I). This bell or alarm apparatus, besides constitutinga load or heart piece to the ball, is to indicate whenever it is struckby a bat in the hands of a player. The body 0, of yarn,

is to be wound directly upon the bell, the cover at being subsequentlyapplied in the usual way to such body.

In the game of base itis occasionally very difficult, if not impossible,to ascertain whether the ball is struck by the bat, the blow being solight, or so aslant on the ball, as to cause the noise of it not to beloud enough to be sufficiently audible; but with the bell within theball a sound is emitted whenever a ball is struck or caught by a player,the advantage of which will be appreciated by those who understand thegames of cricket or base.

I am aware it is not new to make a ball of two thin metallicconcavo-eonvex hemispheres tied together, arranged base to base, andcovered externally with wool brush, there being one'or more balls orstones within the hemispheres.

In my ball, which is of a difl'erent character, the bell is used as aheart or core, and has a yarn body wound around it tightly, so as togive the requisite elasticity; the said body being subsequently inclosedin a leather cover, which protects the yarn, and serves to keep it fromunwinding 01' being injured, and makes a finish.

I therefore elaim- As a new or improved manufacture, a base or cricketball composed of a spherical bell, B, a round or encompassing yarn body,0, and a being substantially as specified.

SAMUEL HIPKISS. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, J. R. Snow.

leather covcrin g, d, surrounding such body, all

